“He can go, but be careful; don’t let him fall into the water.”
All day the little boy slept in the canoe; when the sun went down, his brother cooked him a duck to eat, and then the two went home.
That lake was their aunt’s swimming-place. One day when the boy had killed a good many ducks, and had gone to the shore to cook one for his brother, he saw something swimming in the water; only a head could be seen,—a great, ugly head, with long red hair floating around it. As soon as the boys saw the head, they made themselves small. The little boy screamed. The woman called to them and tried to go to them, but she could only come up out of the water as far as her [[105]]waist. “I shall see you another day,” screamed she. “I will wait till you are larger.”
When the boys got home, the grandmother asked: “Why did you scream so loud?”
“My brother swallowed a duck bone,” said the elder boy. “You must cook seeds for him to eat.”
Every day the brothers went for ducks. Many times the aunt floated up to their canoe, put her breast against the side of it, and almost tipped it over. Each time the little boy screamed. The elder boy drove her away. He was angry, but he was waiting for his brother to get older and stronger. Sometimes the woman didn’t come; she was with Kûlta, who lived in the lake near the place where the boys hunted for ducks.
The grandmother gave the older boy a knife to sharpen his arrows. “I want a stronger one.” said he. She gave him another, a very strong, sharp knife. That day Tekewas put her breast to the canoe and almost tipped it over. The little boy screamed, he was so scared.
When they went home, the grandmother asked: “Why did your brother scream so loud?”
“He cut his finger.”
“That is because I gave you a sharp knife. You shouldn’t let him have it.”